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Former Stanford Swimmer Brock Turner Released From Jail After Serving Just 3 Months For Sexual Assault

SAN FRANCISCO (CBSNewYork/AP)-- A former Stanford University swimmer whose six-month sentence for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman sparked national outcry has been released from jail after serving half his term.

Brock Turner walked out the main entrance of the Santa Clara County jail Friday and plans to head to his native Ohio to live with his parents. The 21-year-old must register as a sex offender for life and faces three years of supervised probation.

Turner's case exploded into the spotlight when a statement from the victim swept across social media and critics decried the sentence as too lenient.

He was convicted of assaulting the young woman near a trash bin after they attended a fraternity party in January 2015. Turner plans to appeal.

California jail inmates with good behavior typically serve half their sentences.

A few protesters jeered Turner as he left a California jail Friday. Turner left the jail shortly after 6 a.m. Turner, who kept his head down and didn't acknowledge the media, was carrying a large packet of hate mail sent to him during his incarceration.

A local television station followed the rented SUV that picked him up to a nearby hotel where he checked in with his parents.

More protesters began gathering in front of the nearby courthouse to advocate for the ouster of the judge who gave Turner a six-month sentence.

(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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